I believe business must have a positive contribution to society. The contribution may be as simple as providing the best food at the most affordable price . Or it can be providing the best quality service the customer can enjoy or providing the best quality product. There is also a higher kind of contribution, that kind that leads to the development of society.

I have never met a man like Raddy Diola. Rather, I have never met a real estate developer like Raddy. He is the man behind the River Valley Community, a housing development found in Kalunasan, one of the most underdeveloped areas of Cebu City.

Raddy is an accidental developer. He recounted to me his story on how he was offered by a distant relative a large parcel of land in Barangay Kalunasan for a very attractive price. Because He has always dreamt of providing a prosperous financial future for his family, he began to nurture a hope that developing this property can fulfill that dream.

Despite having no knowledge, experience or resources, he went ahead and completed the purchase of the property. The first time he saw the actual site, his heart sank. The road was basically a path, there was no water, and the worst part was that a public elementary school building had encroached on his new property.

The community around his property was both hostile and fearful of Raddy. They feared that they would lose their school. They were hostile that they would lose access to their homes as it would be revealed later, the basic access path ran thru Raddy’s property.

“It was also the time when we were scraping the bottom of the barrel, so to speak, making both ends meet for the needs of the family.” Raddy added, “We had to let go and let God.” He met with the members of the community as well as the school. He immediately donated the portion of the land that the school building sat on. He also donated the path and arranged for it to be expanded into an asphalted road.

After winning the trust of the community, he was able to organize a water brigade that searched for and eventually found access to water. He recounted , “ For 23 years the school was without any water system. Children risked their lives and limbs fetching water at the nearby river.” Through the help of donations, they were able to pipe the water to the community and the school.

Today, what used to be a place devoid of hope is now one the most pleasant community to live in. The school is thriving. Again through the help of many individuals and organizations, the school now has a thriving library and a computer laboratory. The children are healthy and well fed through weekly feeding programs and medical check ups. I cannot find the words to describe the changes that happened. What was once despair, Hope now springs.

River Valley Community is now a thriving real estate development. It had evolved into a beautiful small subdivision for middle income families. River Valley Community is providing a contribution to society. I believe that the basic questions we have to ask ourselves in planning a business is ,”What kind of impact will my business have on society?”. Andrew Carnegie once said, "No one becomes rich unless he enriches the lives of others."